Improvement in railway-car couplings



A. GEISS.

Car Coupling..

No. 100,999. Patented March 22, 1870.

daiteti tapes peut epm.

Letters Patent No. 100,999, dated March 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR C'OUPLINGS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part oi th same.

I, ADOLPH GE'Iss, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have linvented certain Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a speciiication.

'lhe nature of my invention consists in providing a railroad car with a self-engaging coupling.4 I refer to the drawing which makes part of the following speciticatiou, and as illust-rating my invention more fully.

Figure l represents my car-coupling lin a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the couplinghead A, represented in ii g. l, except the coupling-link, which is bent, so as to answer for various heightsoi' cars.

Letter A is the coupling-head. It is provided with a round shaft, A', which is to be surrounded by a spring of ymetal or rjubber for the purpose of receiving the concussion of the moving cars. A is to be secured to a car in the usual way.

B B are two rubber plates within head A. They have for their object to act upon pinch-plates C C, in order to canse C C to pinch upon coupling-link D, the purpose of which `will be explained hereafter.

C C are two metal plates. The same are jointed like a' hinge, as plainly seen in iig. 2, and have for their object the holding'of link D in such a position as to enable the self-coupling oi' the car.

D is the coupling-link.

E is the coupling-bolt. l

F is the coupling-bolt bracket. It is for the purpose of holding the bolt E in a perpendicular position whenever the sanieislifted ont ofthe link D.

G is an angle-plate. Itis provided with a tapering slot-hole, G'. It is secured to tbe head A by means of a set-screw, as plainly seen in ig. 1, and has for its object to uphold the belt E when the same is lifted out of link D.

A small p1atespring, H, is acting at the end of angle-plate G, in order to slide or push G out; the tapering slot-hole of plate G being of corresponding size with the holt E, so it may impinge on said boltE, in order to hold itup whenever it is lifted out until plate G be pushed back by coming in contact with an angle-plate G of the coupling-head A secured to another car.

It will be observed that as the springs H H are pushing plates G G of heads A A outward so as to project over the head A A, they will, when cars are shoved together, come in contact with each other before the heads A A will be broughttogether; hence G G will be pushed back and the boltE released, so that it may drop into the bead and through the coupling-link I).

It will also be observed that as the hinged plates C G pinch upon link D, whenever it is shoved into A, and is held therein a horizontal position, therefore if two cars are provided with this coupling, and one ot' the coupling-heads is provided with alink, D, secured between plates C C, the cars may be coupled together merely by moving cars together, as it do'es not require the assistance ot a person to joint the link D in its proper place.

I am aware of the patent of W. Cottrell, October 5, 1869, but claim nothing thereof'.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Vhat I claim as new and useful is- The hinged plates C C, in combination withthe springsA or plates B B, the link D, the bolt E, angleplate G, spring H, and bracket I1`,all constructed and arranged as described, and to operate substantially as set forth.

. ADOLPH GEISS.

Witnesses:

H.' WM. DoPP, MICHAEL J. STARK. 

